malazanfandomcom-20200222-history
Grey Swords
The Grey Swords were a mercenary cultMemories of Ice, Glossary, UK MMPB p.1181 of warrior priests and acolytes sworn to Fener, the Boar of Summer. Their order was dedicated to Fener's Reve. Originally from Elingarth, they were hired by Prince Jelarkan of Capustan to supplement his own forces, the Capanthall. By city law, the Capanthall was capped at 2000 soldiers, so Jelarkan hired the mercenaries to strengthen the city's defences in the face of an invasion by the Pannion Domin. The Grey Swords originally numbered over seven thousand, but supplemented their numbers with 1200 largely female recruits from Capustan. Jelarkan's rivals in government, the Mask Council, sought to rein in his increased power by invoking a law preventing the Grey Swords from any engagements outside the city walls. This severely restricted what they could do in the event of a siege.Memories of Ice, Chapter 3, US SFBC p.101 The Grey Swords' service did not come cheap, as their standard-contract charged twice what the Crimson Guard demanded. Organisation Overall command was held by Mortal Sword Brukhalian. The highest ranking priest was Destriant Karnadas. Itkovian was Shield Anvil, a position that "demanded both scholarly pursuits and military prowess". He studied history, philosophy, and religion in order to formulate tactics and strategy based on an accurate understanding of both enemies and allies.Memories of Ice, Chapter 7 The Grey Swords were broken into two kinds of units: Manes (infantry) and Wings (cavalry). A Wing was made up of fifteen soldiers who were trained to arrange themselves in multiple formations such as the inverted crescent and the crooked wing shape of the raptor formation. The Wing soldiers were armed with swords, lances, and bows, as well as lassos with which they could pull down larger foes. Grey Sword warhorses could be heavily armoured for combat. They were trained to bite and stamp opponents, spin in place, and respond to their rider's verbal commands and touch. Manes were trained to fight in various formations including squares and lines. They could lock shields together when facing massed numbers. They carried long serrated pikes and swords. In large scale engagements, Wings and Manes fought in groups of three under the command of an officer known as a Trimaster. For example, a Trimaster might be in charge of the First, Sixth, and Seventh Manes or Wings One, Three, and Five.Memories of Ice, Chapter 14 Grey Swords were skilled in the healing arts and had access to High Denul through their Destriant, even when he or she was not present. Grey Swords recruited from amongst local populations and their training followed the tenet of "Train the soldier in the real world". New recruits were taught the minimal skills to ride and given weapons and armour to accustom them to their weight. Only after observing the recruit's ability to follow the example of others would they receive weapons training. If a unit with a recruit found itself in combat, two veterans would remain at the recruit's side at all times. Grey Swords despised blind obedience, and officers were willing to listen to the advice and recommendations of subordinates. Both male and female Grey Swords were referred to as "Sir".Memories of Ice, Chapter 16 The cult did not demand monastic vows such as celibacy of its adherents, although some chose to impose these strictures upon themselves.Memories of Ice, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.458-459 In Memories of Ice Preparing for the inevitable Pannion Domin Siege of Capustan, the Grey Swords acted independently of the oversight of their employer, Prince Jelarkan. Contacted by Quick Ben, they first made a secret alliance with the forces of High Fist Dujek Onearm and Caladan Brood. While patrolling outside the city, Itkovian stumbled upon the first of the Pannion Seer's undead K'ell Hunters. This led to another secret alliance with the K'Chain Che'Malle common enemy, the Kron T'lan Imass.Memories of Ice, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.454Memories of Ice, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.243-246/251-258/285-286 Meanwhile, the Grey Swords began constructing refugee tunnels below the city without waiting for Council approval.Memories of Ice, Chapter 14, US SFBC p.481 When Septarch Kulpath's Pannion army arrived, the Grey Swords did their best to defend against overwhelming numbers. Their hope was to make the city too costly to take, and to hold out long enough for Dujek and Brood's forces to arrive. Mortal Sword Brukhalian asked Itkovian to hold for six weeks, but the city fell within three days.Memories of Ice, Chapter 7, US SFBC p.244-245Memories of Ice, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.550 On the last day, the Mortal Sword and his remaining veteran soldiers were betrayed by High Priest Rath'Fener, the city's representative of their own god, and slain. Itkovian was nearly killed by the Tenescowri hordes, but Destriant Karnadas sacrificed his own life to heal the Shield Anvil.Memories of Ice, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.538-544/546-547 By this time only about 112 Grey Swords remained and most were recent Capan recruits. Itkovian led the recruits on an assault to retake Jelarkan's Palace where they found Anaster and his peasant army feasting on Jelarkan and his court. The last of the Grey Swords drove off the occupiers and then held the palace until the siege was lifted by the Malazan alliance.Memories of Ice, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.585-591 Possibly as many as twenty thousand civilians survived in the Grey Sword tunnels. Once the battle was over, Itkovian exacted retribution for Rath'Fener's betrayal invoking the Reve's ritual punishment for treachery. The Shield Anvil also confirmed his suspicions that Fener had fallen from his divine realm and now walked the mortal earth. Rath'Trake, representative of Fener's seeming successor, offered to take over the blessing of his vows, but Itkovian refused.Memories of Ice, Chapter 17, US SFBC p.589-593 After the siege, Itkovian decided that the survival of the Grey Swords called for drastic measures. He led Captain Norul and the former recruit Velbara to a gathering of Barghast elders where the Grey Swords were reconsecrated, swearing allegiance to Togg and Fanderay and proclaiming a new Reve, the Wolf's Reve, with Norul as the new Shield Anvil and Velbara the new Destriant.Memories of Ice, Chapter 18, UK MMPB p.790-792 Itkovian disassociated himself from the new order, trading in his finery and symbols of rank.Memories of Ice, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.843-844 Norul took her place among the leaders of the alliance against the Pannion Domin.Memories of Ice, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.702 She recruited from the defeated Tenescowri to refill the Grey Sword ranks and accompanied Brood's army south to Coral. Martial training of new recruits took place on the march.Memories of Ice, Chapter 23, US SFBC p.829 Norul also took personal charge of the captured Anaster, taking his pain upon herself and leaving him a broken shell who rode alongside her. This was done with the blessing of Ganoes Paran.Memories of Ice, Chapter 21, UK MMPB p.921Memories of Ice, Chapter 22, US SFBC p.794 At the Battle of Black Coral, the Grey Swords rode ahead of Brood's forces to assist Whiskeyjack and Dujek.Memories of Ice, Chapter 24, US SFBC p.898 Norul volunteered to lead her forces in a likely suicidal charge on the Pannion Domin's army of undead K'ell Hunters along with Gruntle and his Trake's Legion. Although vastly outpowered, the Grey Swords harried the K'Chain Che'Malle with barbed lances and lassos.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.920-923 Once inside the city, Velbara and the surviving Grey Swords located Dujek and the remains of his army, and brought them out to safety.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.945 By the battle's end, only about 100 Capan women and gaunt Tenescowri recruits remained.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.982 Itkovian perished taking the pain and suffering of tens of thousands of T'lan Imass upon himself.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.936/956-957 Velbara and Norul oversaw the former Shield Anvil's entombment as the gathered soldiers and undead warriors built a barrow of gifts and tokens over his body.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.982-984 In exchange for Toc the Younger's sacrifice of his body, Togg helped to place his soul within Anaster's now empty vessel of a body, granting Toc a second chance at life. Toc-Anaster became the new Mortal Sword of the Grey Swords.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, UK MMPB p.1102/1109-1111/1129/1145/1167/1168 Word of Anaster's rebirth and salvation brought Coral's Tenescowri to the Grey Sword camp. Toc-Anaster rode among them as Velbara's healing energies embraced them within the Wolf's Reve.Memories of Ice, Chapter 25, US SFBC p.989 In Reaper's Gale When Redmask, the Awl leader, returned to his people after a long exile, he found that the Awl had betrayed their allies, the Grey Swords, during their fight against the Letherii, and had been entirely decimated since they chose to stand and fight rather than flee unlike their Awl allies.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 4 The Malazan, Toc the Younger, who was the Mortal Sword of the Grey Swords, was the only known lone survivor. He had been imprisoned by the Awl leader Hadralt. He was later released by Redmask and accompanied him to the battles against the Letherii.Reaper's Gale, Chapter 6 In Dust of Dreams When the Barghast arrived to help the Grey Swords in their fight against the Letherii, all they found was the dead of the Grey Swords.Dust of Dreams, Chapter 4 Members * Brukhalian, Mortal Sword of Fener's Reve * Itkovian, Shield Anvil of Fener's Reve * Karnadas, Destriant of Fener's Reve * Norul, Captain and later Shield Anvil of the Wolf's Reve * Toc-Anaster, Mortal Sword of the Wolf's Reve * Velbara, Recruit and later Destriant of the Wolf's Reve * Farakalian * Nakalian * Nilbanas * Sidlis * Torun See also * Perish Grey Helms Notes and references de:Graue Schwerter pl:Szare Miecze Category:Grey Swords